Strong demand in China boosts US exporters

China's growing appetite for high-quality consumer goods and industrial inputs is drawing more products from the United States into its market, as holiday spending, industrial upgrading and the recent reciprocal tariff-cut arrangement offer US exporters more room to expand sales in the country, according to trade experts and business leaders.

From fresh fruit and seafood to integrated circuits and energy products, US shipments to China have remained substantial, reflecting the complementary nature of the two economies and the potential for expanding imports to support more balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade, they said.

The trend was particularly visible during the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to Wednesday, as stronger demand for food and other consumer products prompted Chinese importers to step up purchases from overseas suppliers.

Oheng Supply Chain Management (Ningbo) Co, a cross-border food products importer based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, imported 44.62 million yuan ($6.66 million) worth of products, including fresh cherries and fish oil from the US, in the first eight months of 2026.

Ahead of the holiday, shipments of US fish oil, red yeast rice, fresh cherries and grapes purchased by the company arrived in China to replenish supplies for the holiday market.

"The US is one of our main sources for products such as fish oil and cherries, with stable supply capacity," said Zhou Shouming, the company's director of customs affairs. "Judging from our sales, domestic consumers' demand for high-quality imported food continues to grow."

In late September, China and the US released reciprocal tariff-cut lists covering about $30 billion worth of imports from each side. Zhou said the arrangement will lower costs for products including fresh cherries and grapes and give the company greater flexibility in pricing, allowing it to bring more high-quality US food products to Chinese buyers.

Pistachios are also included on China's tariff-cut list. Nut growers in California are expected to export 111,000 metric tons of pistachios to China in the 2026 crop year (Sept 1, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027), according to Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, the largest pistachio producer by production volume and sales revenue in the US.

Anita Lam, managing director for China at Wonderful Pistachios, said the industry remains confident about the long-term growth potential for California pistachios in the Chinese market, adding that her company will continue to leverage its vertically integrated supply chain and long-standing operations to deepen its presence in the country.

Demand for fresh seafood has also been strong in China. Imports of US lobsters through Ningbo Lishe International Airport were valued at 200 million yuan between January and August, surging 468.5 percent year-on-year, according to Ningbo Customs.

Li Yongguo, president of Hengsheng Supply Chain (Dongguan) Co, a Dongguan, Guangdong province-based trading company, said that beyond food products, China's demand for imported integrated circuits has continued to grow, fueled by the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and rising demand from the country's electronics manufacturing sector.

The Chinese company imported 10.31 billion yuan worth of integrated circuits from the US in the first three quarters, up 74.2 percent year-on-year, statistics from Huangpu Customs in Guangdong showed.

Miao Yingchun, a researcher at Wuhan University's Institute for International Studies in Wuhan, Hubei province, said China's demand for US products is being driven by both consumption and production — consumers seeking a wider range of quality goods and manufacturers requiring raw materials, components and equipment.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Beijing-based think tank Center for China and Globalization, noted that the Chinese and US economies are deeply interconnected.

"If the two countries can expand tariff reductions in specific areas and establish effective trade and investment mechanisms, even relatively limited steps at the outset could help strengthen confidence and pave the way for broader cooperation," he said.

China-US trade rose 5.5 percent year-on-year to $400.84 billion during the January-to-August period, while China's imports from the US grew 3.4 percent year-on-year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

The resilience of bilateral trade is also reflected in recent research. China's expanding import market continues to offer opportunities for US companies despite shifts in global trade and persistent bilateral economic tensions, according to a new report released in Los Angeles that examines changes in US exports to China and the broader impact of the China International Import Expo.

The report, "The Evolution of the Structure of US Exports to China and the Extended Effects Index from a CIIE Perspective (2026)", was released earlier this week at the Bridge to Shanghai: Business Opportunities with China event, part of an overseas outreach series ahead of the ninth CIIE, which will be held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10.

The report said the composition of trade also points to continuing economic complementarity between the world's two largest economies. It identifies China as the largest overseas market for US soybeans and cotton in 2026, and an important market for US integrated circuits and medical devices.

It also said the US remains a major source of China's services imports and has maintained a surplus in bilateral services trade.

Those patterns, according to the researchers, underscore the enduring commercial ties between the two economies even as tariffs, technology restrictions and changes in global sourcing have altered the bilateral trade landscape.

Li Qingjuan, director of the Think Tank Center at Fudan University's Fudan International School of Finance, said the CIIE is no longer simply about bringing products into the Chinese market. Instead, it has evolved into a global platform for companies to showcase their products, connect with potential partners and explore business opportunities.